This was never meant to happen
by StartedOutWithAKiss
Summary: Damon had seen it right away, probably because he knew the feeling of loving someone you can't have.


This was never meant to happen. Ever. He was supposed to ride off into the sunset with his beloved Elena whilst she carried on with her vampire life as best as she could and forced herself to have feelings for Tyler that had long since gone. Stefan Salvatore was never meant to fall in love with Caroline Forbes. She had resigned herself to the fact that they would never happen since that first day.

She'd seen Elena and Stefan, the simplest look, the lightest touch, she knew the love they had was real. Everyone had. Hadn't this been proven every single time he saved her, sometimes even at the cost of his own freedom? Sure their love was tortured in the way that Romeo and Juliet's was, but it was still pure and would be everlasting even when the day came when a decision had to be made about Elena's life; vampire or human?

"It's Stefan, it'll always be Stefan Care" Elena had once reassured her with a wide smile and sparkling eyes, whenever she noticed her best friend and the other brother were getting extremely close, closer than usual.

In her heart of hearts, deep down in the pit of her stomach, Caroline never foreseen that Damon would be the Salvatore brother Elena would chose to be with. At most she expected a fling, a meaningless purely sexual, passionate affair that would have Elena running back into the arms of her devoted saviour.

The story of how Stefan and Caroline came to be together was not solely the result of Elena choosing Damon, no; Caroline would not reduce herself to being second choice again. Their love story had been in the works long before Elena had realised she wanted a love that consumed her.

"You look…different Caroline" he'd said to her after one coincidental run in at the grill. This was when Stefan was going through his 'ripper' phase and had only been back in town a few days under orders from Klaus that he would protect Elena. He wore a smirk that Caroline was not at all comfortable with and held a fire in his eyes that she couldn't look away from.

She'd made a conscious decision to avoid this new Stefan, not that he'd really made any effort to see her. Best friends my ass. He hadn't just left Elena and Damon behind, he'd left her as well but nobody, most of all him seemed to realise this. Where was he whenever she almost killed some guy after he'd fell and cut himself in the street? Where was he whenever she'd been taken prisoner and tortured by her father?

"You look like an ass Stefan" she'd replied. She didn't know what he meant that she looked different, she hadn't changed physically since he'd left, or emotionally not really, either. He let out a chuckle and took a swig from his drink. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, surveying her body up and down taking in every inch, she felt naked, and almost as if he knew he held her stare.

She was not to know that it was after this encounter and every other encounter with 'Ripper Stefan' that feelings she'd long ago buried for Stefan came rushing back in full force. He was also not to know that the craving and lust he felt for Caroline during this dark stage in his life would manifesto as genuine feelings whenever he returned to his normal self.

By the time she realised her feelings for Stefan were back, it was too late, she'd already fallen in love with him, even more so when returned to the Stefan who had held her in his arms and promised to protect her the night she'd murdered that innocent boy. As a vampire, she felt the love she had for him was far more intense, and at times harder to hide. Damon had seen it right away, probably because he knew the feeling of loving someone you can't have. How were they to know that in a short while those people would be theirs?

"It gets harder you know. All this crap about time heals all wounds is just something they tell you, believe me I would know" he said to her one night when they found themselves alone in the boarding house. There was no point denying it, especially to him, so she did the next best thing. She lifted the bottle of scotch and they drowned their sorrows together. They could've fallen into bed together and started something neither of them wanted but both needed, but they didn't, realising they needed friends more than anything at this point and sex would have just complicated things. Pity.

"I know" she replied, gulping from the bottle of alcohol hoping it would numb her pain some more. It didn't. If only she had known at the exact same time, as well as Damon, that her green eyed friend was having the same conflicting feelings towards her, maybe she wouldn't have continuously used alcohol and blood as a way of comforting herself and resigning herself to the fact that Stefan would always love Elena no matter what.

She was a horrible friend, no one needed to remind her of that she did it herself every day. Who goes and falls in love with their best friend's boyfriend? She felt like she was living in One Tree Hill only Peyton got the man of her dreams in that reality. Caroline wouldn't, or so she thought.

It was an ordinary Wednesday night whenever he came to her door. Mystic falls had been surprisingly big bad free for a while so the first thing that came to her mind was someone's (Elena) in trouble. She opened her door to see him standing there, dripping wet and totally sexy. Damn it, Stefan, she cursed him inwardly, he was making this harder every single day. Trust her to be wearing scantily clad pjs with her hair tossed carelessly into a messy bun. He merely stood there for a few minutes in silence.

"Stefan?" she asked cautiously. Had he done something wrong? Had he had a relapse? She was getting worried.

"You've been avoiding me" he stated, looking at her with that serious Stefan look. She had been. Ever since she'd realised she'd loved him she'd done everything not to spend time with him; Declining group dinners, arranging to meet Elena at Caroline's house only so she wouldn't have to see him, training with Damon instead of him and so on. Spending time with him would only make her feel worse and somebody other than Damon was bound to realise her feelings sooner or later, she gave everything away with her eyes.

She just sighed and looked at him, what could she say that didn't inadvertently tell him she was hopelessly in love with him and it killed her knowing he was in love with her best friend? That was her only choice really, in hindsight. This was Stefan and she knew he wouldn't mock her or harshly reject her, she knew that if she told him he would let her down as gently as she could. Her eyes began to water as she took a deep breath, preparing to confess her love to a boy who didn't want her and would never want her. Here goes.

"I-"before she could finish her statement she was stopped by Stefan's lips crashing against hers, this was the last thing she had expected to happen. It was desperate, passionate and full of fire, she couldn't stop herself, it was everything she'd dreamed it would be and more. She lengthened the kiss and allowed his tongue access to her mouth over and over. His hands were tangled in her hair and she had him pushed against the door frame, neither of them cared they were standing in the rain.

Wait this was wrong, no matter how right it felt. Just because she loved him didn't give her the right to kiss him, he was in a relationship with her best friend and she swore to herself she would never be one of those girls. She managed to push herself away and had they been human, they both would have been out of breath by now. No words were exchanged for the first few minutes, to be honest Caroline was kind of embarrassed, not to mention confused, Stefan coming here in the middle of the night and kissing her? Was this a dream? Some sick joke? Was he high on human blood?

"I love you" he uttered, as if answering the internal questions running through her head. "I think a part of me always has in some way. _I_ love you. I _love _you. I love _you._" It was the first time he had admitted it out loud or even to himself, when discussing it with Damon it had only been referred to as 'feelings'. "Ever since I've come back, I've had these…thoughts and feelings I can't control. Every time I see you all I want to do is kiss you, you're in my head constantly, I even dream about you Caroline. I love you" he ended his declaration with a simple, gentle smile, cupping Caroline's face with his hands.

Here he was, the boy she'd been depressing herself over for months, here he was standing outside her door declaring _his_ undying love for _her. _Not Elena, not Bonnie, but her. She felt she was going to burst with happiness, he loved her. Stefan Salvatore loved her. "Elena?" she asked, fearing for his answer. He did love her, but that didn't mean he didn't love Elena more. Maybe this whole stunt was just to get his feelings off his chest and go on living his happy life with Elena. God please no.

He give a simple shake of the head and whispered "You" before they found themselves in the similar position of kissing against her door frame only this time, Caroline let herself be led upstairs where the rest can be led to imagination.

As coincidence would have it, this was also the night that Damon stormed to Elena's and declared that he had enough, he was done, he was sick of loving her and was leaving town to get her out of his head. Seeing Stefan go to confess his love to Caroline gave Damon the courage to actually mean the worlds he was saying. This was the moment Elena chose to express her feelings to him, she couldn't help it, she'd fallen in love with him too, she wanted him, and she loved him. Finally.

So when the two couples finally got together to discuss the surprising turn of events, the awkwardness eased away and it was as if it had always been this way.

Stefan Salvatore was never meant to fall in love with Caroline Forbes. Ever. But he did and they are living happily ever after.


End file.
